A San Francisco man and a juvenile accomplice were arrested last week in connection with a possibly wide-ranging auto burglary "operation" that included at least two burglaries in Alamo Square and near the Palace of Fine Arts.

San Francisco police trailed a juvenile who they say committed two separate auto burglaries on September 7, in Alamo Square and in the Marina near the Palace of Fine Arts.

A plainclothed officer reportedly tried to pursue the juvenile suspect as they fled on Girard Road near the Palace of Fine Arts, but lost the vehicle due to "illegal, evasive maneuvers."

Another officer saw the suspect's vehicle near Masonic and Golden Gate avenues, and police say they surveilled the suspect and followed them to Oakland, where they were seen getting into a vehicle with 27-year-old Robert Lionel Sonza of San Francisco, who is known to be a "prolific auto burglar."

Police made their presence known and a second pursuit ensued. Officers attempted to disable the suspects' vehicle using a tire deflation device, but this was apparently unsuccessful, and the suspects fled to the vicinity of Piedmont and Pleasant Valley avenues, where the car crashed.

Both suspects attempted to flee on foot, but were apprehended.

Souza was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy to commit a felony, and receiving stolen property, as well as other charges. The juvenile is facing two counts of burglary and other charges, and was released to the custody of a parent.

Police also learned that the juvenile had allegedly used a stolen vehicle to commit the two burglaries in San Francisco. And both burglary tools and stolen items were found in the vehicle. Police say that more stolen property as well as the firearm were found in Sonza's vehicle.

SFPD Chief William Scott said in a statement, "Despite the dangerous and evasive driving of the suspects, SFPD personnel continued their surveillance from a distance for the sake of public safety and took the suspect and his accomplice, a known, prolific auto burglar, into custody."

Auto burglaries, while a persistent problem in San Francisco, are way down compared to last year. In the category of larceny theft, which includes auto burglaries, the SFPD is reporting a rate of these incidents that is 40% below last year's for the period between January 1 and September 8.

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